Thursday, January 31, 2013

Aviation Key Safety Performance Indicators (KPIs)


Aviation Key Safety Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Aviation KPI Guide Operational Goals
Aviation key performance indicators or KPIs (also known in the industry as safety performance indicators) provide airlines and airports important metrics to improve their aviation safety record. Key Performance Indicators measure organizations' critical success factors. KPIs may differ depending on type of aviation organization, such as size of airline, helicopter operations, air traffic control or MROs.  An important Key Performance Indicator for every airline or airport is the number of reported hazards, accidents and incidents during the year. This not only measures the obvious, but also infers corporate safety culture or the reporting culture of the individual airline or airport.

Whatever Key Performance Indicators your choose to adopt for your airline or airport, they must reflect important organizational goals. KPIs must be key to organizational success, and they must be quantifiable (measurable). Aviation Key Safety Performance Indicators may be long-term or short term (quarterly, semi-annual or annual). Which safety key performance indicators your organization targets and how they are measured should not change often in order for results to be compared with over time. Tracking KPIs over time helps identify trends and demonstrates improvements (or lack of).

Organizational goals for particular Key Performance Indicators may change as organizational goals change, or as you approach the completion of your goals. Therefore, don't feel that you have to be married to your chosen KPIs indefinitely.

Aviation Safety Performance Monitoring


Web Based Aviation Safety Software Tracks Goals
In SMS Pro's Web based aviation safety management software, your organization creates goals and objectives based on past performance. In SMS Pro's Goals & Objectives module, real time statistics are generated so your organization can easily create realistic goals and objectives based on real-time aviation safety key performance indicators.

Which aviation key performance indicators you configure or find of value will differ from your type of operations, whether you belong to flight ops or air traffic management, MROs, helicopter operators, etc. However, we have identified several safety performance indicators that are common across all airlines and airports and these are captured in SMS Pro's "Performance Monitoring" module.

For example, a most useful safety performance indicator is the financial data. How much money have all your safety-related issues cost your organization this year, last year, the last ten years? Or if you like, you may narrow down the financial safety performance indicator to determine which division in your organization costs the organization most in terms of safety, security, quality, compliance or environmental issues.

Most Common Aviation Safety Performance Indicators

Air traffic management key performance indicators vary little from the key performance indicators of airlines, airports, MROs & helicopter operators. For example, widely popular and acceptable KPIs include financial, aviation safety investigations, safety communications and types of issues reported (Safety, Quality, Security, Compliance and Environmental).

 Another useful tool to effectively identify your safety performance indicators are "Trending Charts." SMS Pro has very full featured aviation safety trending charts to allow you to visualize your aviation safety key performance indicators.

Purpose of Aviation Safety Key Performance Indicators

Many aviation professionals and SMS subject matter consultants have provided feedback into the  development of SMS Pro's safety performance indicators that target useful aviation-related business processes at the management level. What follows are some safety key performance indicator metric that are tracked automatically be SMS Pro's Web based aviation safety software:

General KPIs


 In SMS Pro, these aviation safety key performance indicators may be filtered by year and division.

If you see an aviation safety key performance indicator missing from this list, please drop us an email at chowell@nwds-ak.com.

Other Lists of Key Performance Indicators

List of Key Performance Indicators for Airlines
List of Key Performance Indicators for Airports/Aerodromes

Other Learning Resources About Aviation KPIs for Airlines & Airports

Choosing Key Performance Indicators - Airlines and Airports
5 Tips for Controlling Aviation Key Performance Indicators
7 Quick Tips for a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Strategy
4 Steps to Automate Key Performance Indicator KPI Monitoring





About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Hidden Tip for Web Based Aviation SMS Automated Email Notification

Automated Email Notification for Overdue Hazard Reviews

The more sophisticated Web based aviation safety management system software for aviation has built in schedulers that can perform automated tasks. Configuring automated tasks requires understanding the capabilities of the aviation SMS software and what to ask for. The following tips are advanced subjects for configuring the automated email notifications for overdue airline/airport reported incidents and accidents and their associated corrective preventive actions.

Aviation SMS Software Settings: Who Gets Notified For Particular Events?

Not all users should be notified for each type of event in your aviation SMS software. There is a fine line of quality, informed email notifications and desensitizing the user due to information overload caused by a flood of email notifications from your airline/airport hazard reporting and risk management software program.

Aviation SMS Software Cuts Costs
In most cases, users need to know when they have overdue tasks, corrective preventive actions or assigned issues. It is best that users get a summary email listing out the numbers of types of issues requiring attention. Specific details should be left out for security purposes.

Upper level management should be notified when the airline or airport encounters a high risk issue. Emails are trigger automatically in SMS Pro when high risk issues are first discovered and also when  the accident or incident investigation (entire issue) is closed. Notifying upper management that a high risk issue has been closed makes good sense because management may wish to follow up to determine whether the accident or incident was managed properly. In other cases, an upper level manager may wish to notify affected stakeholders that the matter has been resolved.

When Are Notifications Sent in Aviation Safety Management Software?

Events or event dates trigger notification. Events may be "high risk closed," or "you have been assigned a corrective preventive action." Understanding these "new action" events is very easy. Time related events, such as expiration dates, and "action required on dates," is also not difficult to understand, but requires that administrators understand that functionality exists to manipulate email notifications for your hazard reporting and risk management software program. This leads us to discuss event/task lead times.

Understanding Task Lead Times in Aviation SMS Software

Often, we don't want to be notified the day an issue is due. In the aviation safety Policies and Procedures module in SMS Pro, you will notice that there are lead times to notify you before a policy or procedure requires review. In this case, you can set two reminders or task lead times. These are Task Lead Time #1 and Task Lead Time #2. When you set the first task lead time, such as 14 for example, you will be notified 14 days ahead of time that the selected policy or procedure requires review. In this case, the manager of the aviation safety Policies and Procedures module has complete control over the "task lead times."

For other tasks, corrective preventive actions and "assigned" reported airline/airport accidents and incidents, the task lead time is not configurable by the SMS Admin. You will need to contact SMS Pro support staff to set a Global Task Lead Time setting in the database that is common for your company, regardless of whether you have 20 employees or 10,000 employees on the portal. This task lead time is set to 0 by default. This means that when the item is due/overdue, you are automatically notified by email.

Hidden Setting for Aviation SMS Email Notifications

There is a setting that NWDS support staff can set in the database called Task Lead Time. By default, it is set to 0, which means that no lead time is calculated before sending email notifications for overdue or coming due assigned issues, tasks or corrective preventive actions. If this setting interests you, then contact NWDS to change this setting from the default setting. You may wish to set the task lead time to three or seven. This setting should be discussed among top management so everyone understands the process.

Reduce Confusion on Task Lead Time for Aviation SMS Email Notifications

Users can easily understand due/overdue concepts. Task lead time may confuse users, so this concept must be taught to everyone concerned. Because of this potential risk of confusion, the setting default is 0.





About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

3 Common Aviation SMS Implmentation Mistakes

3 Most Common SMS Implementation Mistakes

You have received top management commitment for your aviation safety management system (SMS) implementation and you are eager to get going. You start cranking out your manual, setup your hazard reporting system to allow all employees report aviation-related incidents and accidents, and perhaps do some training.

Aviation SMS Gap Analysis Checklists Included
Most aviation safety officers (or managers if you prefer) are very qualified, hard-working, educated folks. However, these are some common mistakes, or misdirected SMS implementation tactics, I've observed as we have worked with hundreds of airlines, airports, MROs and FBOs in their aviation SMS implementation projects.

1) Not Completing an Initial Gap Analysis

When you start on a journey to unknown territories, such as a trip to the Bahamas, you usually look for a map or information about how to get to your final destination. You may also look for items you need to bring on your trip, such as bathing shorts, suntan lotion, etc. Are there any visa requirements or anything else that you need before taking off on your journey. The more organized of us make a checklist. My wife will even make an MS Excel spreadsheet so she doesn't forget anything when we go sea kayaking in Prince William Sound or take a Hawaiian vacation where we camp for weeks at a time.

Along the same thread, safety managers should be doing a gap analysis when they begin their SMS implementation. There are many maps (models) available. For example, the FAA, Transport Canada, ICAO, IS-BAO and CASA models are among the most popular. SMS Pro has most of these models built in, so you can modify your map (or checklist) to suite your operations. If you only want the aviation SMS gap analysis checklists without using SMS Pro, they are free gap analysis checklist listed here.

The gap analysis is going to teach you what is required for your aviation SMS implementation. This serves are your map and your checklist to get your your tropical vacation. It is never too late to conduct your gap analysis.

2) Not Conducting a Follow-up Gap Analysis on Regular Basis


The second common SMS implementation mistake I see frequently stems from the first. For those airlines and airports implementing their aviation safety management systems, they don't perform regular followups. The most common reason the gap analysis is overlooked or purposefully neglected is because IT IS WORK! Trying to manage a gap analysis using a checklist is hard work. You have to:
  • Go through the gap analysis checklist and answer questions as to what you have and don't;
  • Find subject matter experts in the organization that can help with their areas;
  • Manage corrective actions stemming from shortcomings (assign & followup);
  • Repeat regularly (annually is prefered).
Doing all this work using an MS Excel spreadsheet, email and MS Word to document (or paper), this turns into a brutal exercise. No wonder operators shudder when they think of this task. There must be an easier way. Don't worry, there is. You can read more about the aviation SMS gap analysis with built in checklists here.

Conducting a regular gap analysis will demonstrate continuous improvement. This is an easy task to sing your improvements to management and to your aviation SMS auditors. If you haven't made any progress, then you are probably among the hundreds of companies are don't want to advertise this and put it on paper. In this case, you could probably use a Web based aviation safety management software system to make your tasks easier. These systems are not expensive and can save you considerable time and money implementing your aviation SMS program.

3) Not Creating an Aviation SMS Implementation Plan

Some operators skip the gap analysis and head straight for the aviation SMS implementation plan. They may read ICAO Document 9859, or the SMS Safety Assurance Guide put out by the FAA, or Transport Canada documentation and copy the SMS implementation plan to a spreadsheet. This is not a bad tactic, but most SMS implementation plans don't go into much detail. There is an exception to the above observation: IS-BAO gap analysis is weak, while their SMS implementation plan is outstanding!

A recommended SMS implementation strategy for aviation safety managers is to conduct your gap analysis so you can identify your problem areas, and then create your plan to satisfy your shortcomings. This plan can start with the ICAO, FAA, Transport Canada or IS-BAO SMS implementation plan. But you should extend it to include the elements in your gap analysis that were identified as shortcomings.

Why don't safety managers create an SMS implementation plan? Simplest answer is lack of time. Most safety managers are working other jobs, such as pilot, line mechanic, etc. Finding time to do their regularly required duties and perform as a safety manager requires considerable effort, especially when it takes considerable effort to learn the aviation SMS requirements. Other answers may include lack of training for organizing projects (lack of project management training) or seeming lack of importance (commitment) from upper manager.

The SMS implementation plan is typically composed of the elements in a phased SMS implementation. Each element should have a targeted start and finish date. More sophisticated SMS implementation plans are laid out in MS Project Gantt charts, but this is not really necessary unless you have extra time.

Your SMS implementation plan will serve your as your road map and timeline for your SMS implementation. Don't be discouraged if you don't meet your goals for implementing certain elements. The important thing to remember is that you are working on it, and your goals are documented using your SMS implementation plan.

Next Steps for Gap Analysis and SMS Implementation Plans

Chances are, you fall into the list of operators who has not:
  • Conducted an initial SMS gap analysis;
  • Performed a followup gap analysis; or
  • Created (and documented) your aviation SMS Implementation Plan.
It is never too late to start. There are many free and low cost aviation safety management software tools available to help.






About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Four Aviation SMS Training Recommendations for Airlines, Airports, MROs

Four Aviation SMS Training Companies Recommended

I've been in the aviation safety management software business since 2007. We don't provide straight aviation SMS training, but we do provides aviation SMS software training on SMS Pro, the Web based aviation safety management software that has become very popular these past five years.

Where is the Best Aviation SMS Training Today?

Web Based Aviation Safety Management Software
Since I've been in the aviation safety business and know many people, I'm frequently asked to recommend aviation SMS training companies. I have three or four that I usually recommend for various reasons. Is there one that is any better than the other? I'm not certain, as most of these aviation SMS training instructors are great story tellers. So, I guess it depends on whether you want to hear good war stories or learn the fundamentals of aviation safety management systems. We know that many students simply want a paid vacation to a warmer climate during the winter, while others merely want the certificate to hang on their walls.

What Order Do I Place Aviation SMS Training Schools?

My recommendations for aviation SMS training companies will not come in order of preference, but in the order that I've been introduced to them. My opinions of these aviation safety training schools are rather impartial. We don't exchange money, but we are on speaking terms.

Southern California Safety Institute (SCSI) SMS Training

When SMS Pro began, Peter Gardiner was president and we had a dream of creating a spectacular Web based aviation safety management software program that would shock the world. Peter was a businessman in the purest sense of the word. He knew how to get operators to release funds for aviation safety related budget items. He was masterful. Our dream with Peter was that SCSI was to provide SMS Pro training and NorthWest Data Solutions (our Anchorage, Alaska Web design and development company) would develop and support the online aviation safety management software.

aviation sms training, safety management systems
SCSI provided NWDS with the initial aviation SMS training. As you can suspect, software engineers must become subject matter experts for the software they are developing. This is no exception with aviation SMS software. We had to learn all about integrated aviation safety management systems and aviation quality management systems with web-based SMS databases, SMS manuals, aviation SMS training requirements, gap analysis concepts, aviation safety audits, advanced accident investigations and employee hazard reporting systems. There was a lot to learn, and SCSI provided us with quality materials to learn about the concepts of aviation SMS. Therefore, I highly recommend SCSI, and Mike Doiron specifically as the SMS training instructor of choice. He teaches in Prague.

Aviation Safety Management Systems in Mexico

Victor del Castillo provides aviation SMS training in Latin America. We should state that SMS Pro is available en espanol. SMS en espanol is only a part of the story. SMS Pro is also in French and German. Therefore, we have English, Spanish, French and German languages for SMS Pro. You may be familiar with the concept of switching between languages on Web sites? SMS Pro's online safety management software system shares the same concept.

It is because of el Senor Victor del Castillo that SMS Pro is available en espanol. Victor is very knowledgeable en SMS and I highly recommend his aviation SMS training program.

The Aviation Consulting Group Provides Aviation SMS Training

Dr. Robert Baron provides aviation SMS training and I also recommend his training program? Why do I recommend Dr. Bob? The answer is simple for me. One of the most enthusiastic aviation SMS fanatics I know is Jason Starke. I've known Jason for many years and respect his opinion very much. Jason has had many great things to say about Dr. Bob. That is why I recommend Dr. Bob and his aviation SMS training.

Dr. Bob has also used our aviation safety management software and has never said a bad word about our Web based product. I guess that is another reason I like Dr. Bob. I see on Dr. Bob's website that he is providing free aviation SMS courses. That is very generous of him. Thank you very much, Dr. Bob.


Florida Aviation SMS Training

In the past three years, it seems as if aviation SMS experts suddenly started dropping from space. I never knew that there were so many SMS experts. All that was required to be an SMS expert was that you print SMS Expert on your business card. This was my first impression when I first heard about and saw ATC Vantage about four years ago. My impressions were not well founded. They have been producing some very high caliber materials. If their aviation SMS training is anything like the the free aviation SMS resources they are providing on their Web site, then I highly recommend this group. My recommendations don't come easily. This is a hard working group. Theresa McCormick has been doing an excellent job.


Summary of Aviation SMS Training Recommendations

There you have my ten cents worth of aviation SMS training recommendations. I don't think you can go wrong with either of these aviation SMS training companies.  If you feel I left you out of the loop, please don't be disappointed. My fingers are tired and I thing four recommendations is enough for one night.

And did I tell you that NWDS provides aviation SMS software training?





About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Web Based Integrated Aviation Safety Management System Advantages

 Web Based Integrated Aviation Safety Management Systems

In the beginning, there was paper to perform the risk management functions of airlines. Paper was a bit difficult to track, and it was easier to keep risky elements off paper in order to avoid the paper trail that lawyers love to chase. Paper gave way to desktop computers and internal networks as managers realized that data could be safety and efficiently stored on spreadsheets and home grown databases. The Web was still young and Web based risk management applications were not as rich as  today's integrated aviation safety management systems.

Growth of Aviation Safety Management Software Industry

SMS Pro Web Based Safety Management Software
Web based aviation safety management systems didn't really start taking hold until about 2008. The reason these aviation risk management solutions were not popular is because the aviation industry focuses their money on equipment, fuel and labor. Marketing is also high on the list, but this is a necessity to increase sales. Marketing expenditures compared to return on investment are more visible than spending money on Web based aviation safety management system. After all, paper still existed, and most managers had access to MS Word, MS Excel and MS Access. The larger companies also may have dedicated software engineers sitting on their thumbs. These folks were often tasked to creating in house desktop aviation safety management programs, but they were not complete systems. These early systems focused on risk management, financial aspects of reported issues and neglected the safety promotion activities common today in the best of breed aviation safety management software suites.

What Drove the Explosion of Web Based Aviation SMS Software?

In 2006, the international aviation regulatory authorities determined that not enough emphasis was placed on aviation safety. Many countries and airlines were black-listed from operating in Europe and the United States. Something needed to be done to ensure some minimal standards were developed to enhance safety. This is when aviation safety management became a buzzword. SMS training companies started training thousands of pilots on the fundamentals of aviation safety management. But true Web based aviation safety management software lagged. Most operators didn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars available to create their Web based aviation SMS software programs.

To put a temporary fix, many Web based hazard reporting software programs came on the scene. They claimed to be complete aviation safety management systems, but the developers were too shortsighted, or perhaps didn't want to spend the time reading the requirements put out by ICAO and other civil aviation authorities.

Integrated Aviation Safety Management Software Solutions Debated

Aviation quality management system with web-based SMS databases were becoming a concern as operators tried to integrate safety and quality management principles into the same Web based framework. The debate still rages on this topic.

Advantages of Web Based Aviation Safety Management Software

The advantages of having Web based aviation safety management systems are many. Having the ability to perform your risk management tasks online, wherever you may be today is a big bonus. Users can report aviation accidents and incidents regardless of where they are located as long as they have Internet connectivity.  Another advantage of having Web based SMS software programs is that you don't have to worry about your data. If you lose your computer, or somebody steals it, you will be assured the data is safe.





About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Lessons Learned from Creating Aviation Safety Management Software

Lessons Learned from Creating Aviation Safety Management Software

 These are simple observations I have discovered over the past six years as a developer of aviation safety management software for airlines, airports, aviation maintenance, fixed base operator and flight schools. These remarks may not be flattering, but they appear to be true across all industry segments. Before venturing into the aviation industry, we provided custom Web based software development for various industries in Alaska, including military defense, financial, engineering, logistics and e-commerce. Most of our clients lived or conducted business within Alaska, so the aviation safety management software market gave us an opportunity to ply our trade on an international scale.

When we started developing aviation safety management software, I was under the impression that airlines, oil companies, airports, etc. really focused on safety and that "safety was first." This slogan is not true, and I'm not even sure safety is second, but maybe safety is third.

What Really Matters in Aviation Safety Management?

The budget and bottom line is first. Without a doubt, if safety managers had top management support for their safety programs, they would unhesitatingly ensure these managers have the tools and resources available to do their jobs. After all, aviation maintenance mechanics don't come to work and expect to get the aircraft in the air with good wishes.

A major factor top management doesn't provide safety managers with the proper hazard reporting and risk management software tools is because they are ignorant of the entire safety process. Many safety management systems (SMS) professionals have recognized for many years that top management doesn't have a clue regarding the ICAO regulatory requirements that all aviation service providers must comply with.

One can understand that publicly operated facilities, such as airports have a budget. They have to live by the budget. In all honesty, the airports seem to accept and incorporate aviation safety management systems into their culture more rapidly than airlines and business jet operators. And we can easily understand why when we remember back on what matters most in aviation safety management.

Risk management focuses on identifying hazards and the associated risks. Once these elements have been identified, they can come up with control measure to reduce risk to as low as reasonably practical (or possible). This term is also call ALARP.

What Else Matters in Safety Management

Top management support is a crucial factor in any successful aviation safety management program. When safety managers don't have top management support, they won't get the resources they need to get the job. Furthermore, if top management is only singing the words without meaning, then the employees will spot this quickly and realize that safety is not as important as it should be. There are hundreds of executive leaders who mean well, but true commitment to safety can take more than 5 minutes per month. You may need to write a newsletter, speak at safety meetings or engage in another meaningful and visible safety promotion activity.

Aviation Safety Management Convenience Factor

Very often, employees have good intentions. But if safety is not convenient and participating in the safety program means doing something else that "I'm not getting paid to do," then most employees won't bother helping the company unless they have a personal interest.

Is it easy to report a safety incident? If it is not, then it is up to management to provide the tools necessary for employees to report aviation incidents and accidents, such as through email. Most employees in the Western world have a smart phone, or have access to a computer to either submit an issue using an electronic reporting form or better yet, through an email.

Make it easy for employees to participate in your safety program and without a doubt, your incident reporting will increase. Along the same thread, ensure that your employees receive feedback or followup on their reported issues. Closing the feedback loop is very important.

Notes:
NWDS was founded in 2003 by six software engineers and provides custom computer programming and systems design services. In 2007-2008 NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization’s overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro ™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Southeast Asia, South America and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs . NWDS continues to support SMS Pro and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in Alaska and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders.





About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

How to Report Aviation Incidents & Accidents by Email

Reporting Airline/Airport Incidents & Accidents by Email

Before the Internet became ubiquitous, incident and accident reporting at airlines and airports was done either by word of mouth or by paper forms submitted in an inbox. Many times it was easier to simply ignore the incident whenever possible if witnesses believed that filling out a paper report was meaningless or too much work. These types of organizations had poor reporting cultures and it is amazing how this mindset carries over today in modern aviation operations.

New Technologies Are Meant to Reduce Work, Not Create More

Many upper level managers at airlines and airports have been working in the "industry" before the last rush of technological advancements. Their minds still don't grasp the power of having data available to analyze with a few clicks of the mouse. Furthermore, they still believe that reported aviation incidents and accidents equates to mountains of paperwork and hours of drudgery. This is no longer true, as there are powerful, Web based aviation safety tools that make these tasks almost effortless to manage.

Many Airlines & Airports Don't Have Electronic Hazard Reporting Systems

Reporting Accidents Should be Easy!
There are still many airports and airlines who don't have electronic accident and incident reporting systems. And the ones that do have electronic hazard reporting systems  most have not been upgraded within the past ten years, so they lack basic email notifications as routine hazard data management activities. There are a few sophisticated safety software systems that have very rich reporting interfaces. For example, there was a recent blog post by SMS Pro about eleven ways users could report incidents and accidents into their Web based aviation safety software.

The easiest way to report aviation incidents and accidents is by email. Most people in the aviation industry culture have email. Being able to open up your IPhone or Blackberry and report an aircraft accident or incident seems almost as easy as it can get. Furthermore, knowing that you can follow up on the reported accident and see who is responsible is a big bonus. Reporting airline accidents and incidents by email should become a standard in aviation safety management systems today.

In conclusion, having eleven ways to get data into an aviation safety system seems incredible! Every system should have at least 3 (paper, electronic reporting forms, and email).

Related Posts







About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.